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Tens of thousands of Palestinians began moving north on Monday, following a major shift in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Israel lifted its roadblocks along the Netzarim Corridor, allowing displaced civilians to return to their homes in northern Gaza for the first time since the early weeks of the 15-month war.
The move came after Hamas agreed to release six hostages in two batches this week, including Arbel Yehoud, a civilian woman, and Agam Berger, a female soldier.
As part of the deal, Palestinians began crossing the military zone that cuts through Gaza from the south towards Gaza City early Monday morning.
By 7 a.m., crowds of people, many carrying their belongings on foot, flooded the coastal highway stretching from the southern parts of the Gaza Strip to the north.
This was a stark contrast to the mass exodus from northern Gaza at the start of the war when civilians fled the fighting. Many of those returning have spent over a year living in makeshift shelters and tent camps in the south.
“It’s a great feeling when you go back home, back to your family, relatives and loved ones, and inspect your house — if it is still a house,” said Ibrahim Abu Hassera, a displaced Gazan who was among those returning.
The return of these displaced people is part of a larger agreement reached between Hamas and Israel, which aimed to ease tensions and provide a humanitarian lifeline to Gaza.
However, the deal was complicated by delays in the release of hostages, which Israel claimed violated the ceasefire terms. Israel had initially delayed the return of Gazans to the north after Hamas failed to release Yehoud before the scheduled date.
Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement, US personnel were deployed to oversee the Netzarim Corridor checkpoint to prevent Hamas fighters and weapons from moving north.
Armed personnel from a private American security company began checking vehicles traveling on the key route.
Despite these security measures, Hamas and its supporters in Gaza celebrated the movement of people as a “victory” over Israel, with some sources estimating that about 650,000 people would return to northern Gaza.
The process of reopening the Netzarim Corridor was also accompanied by stern warnings from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) about the potential dangers.
IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued instructions to Gazan civilians to avoid approaching Israeli forces, transporting weapons or terror operatives, and to stay away from certain border areas, including the Rafah Crossing in southern Gaza.
The situation in Gaza remains tense, and while the ceasefire has allowed for a flow of aid into the region, the United Nations has warned that the humanitarian crisis is far from over.
The truce agreement has allowed the delivery of food, fuel, and medicines, but these supplies are still far from meeting the needs of the population in the war-torn enclave.
The return of displaced Palestinians and the release of hostages marks a significant development in the fragile ceasefire, but it also highlights the complexities of the ongoing conflict and the challenges that lie ahead for both sides in reaching a long-term resolution.